Second RS:X Youth World Championship win for Hamilton

Exeter University student Izzy Hamilton is on top of the world again after scoping a second gold medal at the windsurfing RS:X Youth World Championship. Having been crowned Britain’s first ever windsurfing Youth World Champion at last year’s event in Bodrum, Turkey, Hamilton defended her title in style this weekend racking up an impressive 16 point lead to be crowned Double Youth World Champion at the 2010 edition of the event held in Limassol, Cyprus.

The 18-year-old beat 38 other up and coming young stars to the RS:X Youth World title after six days of racing in the Cypriot venue, adding gold to her two silver medals from the multi-class Volvo Youth Sailing ISAF World Championship in Turkey and RS:X European Championship in Poland, back in July.

Hamilton, who is a member of the RYA Volvo National Youth Squad and Skandia Team GBR Development Squad, made no mistake in asserting her rank, leading the pack for the first two days in what were the young sailor’s un-favoured light conditions.

Poland’s Hanna Zembrzuska, who was revelling in the marginal winds, pushed Hamilton hard on the third day overtaking her lead by one point. But with stronger winds promised for the end of the week, Hamilton’s forte, she held her nerve, kept it consistent and racked up a huge lead on the penultimate day guaranteeing herself a silver medal or better from Saturday’s double point medal race.

With absolutely no wind on the racecourse on Saturday the medal race was cancelled. Titles were decided on Friday’s results handing Hamilton an emphatic victory and a second consecutive Youth World Title.

Hamilton commented: “I’m so happy at this moment in time and after all the events I’ve done this summer it’s so good to finish it off on a massive high. We had a complete mix of conditions and I had good results most days so that’s why I’ve come out on top really – consistency.”

“I’m really really happy to finally have made first this year after coming second in Turkey at the ISAF’s and second at the Euros - I’m just so happy to finish on top at my last youth event,” she concluded.

Halifax’s Connor Bainbridge was the top ranked Brit in the 70-board men’s fleet finishing an impressive fourth overall. “It feels amazing, fourth is brilliant. I was hoping we could have gone out for the medal race - I could have jumped up to second so it was unfortunate there was no wind,” Bainbridge said. “We’ve had everything this week unlike the Euros in Poland which was mostly light winds. It’s just been nice because it’s really been about who’s the best in everything rather than who’s the best in just one condition.”

Other British top ten finishes included Launceston’s Sam Sills in men’s seventh and Bude’s Sophie Bailey in women’s class ninth.